The media and technology calendar traditionally has revolved around a few events: the Consumer Electronics Show, SXSW Interactive, Comic-Con and Cannes Lions.

Now VidCon is making strong push to enter that established group. The event — for those who have heard of it at all — typically conjures thoughts of stampeding teens chasing YouTube stars. Backroom business deals, not so much.

Yet here we are. It's 2016 and VidCon, which is happening at the same time as Cannes, is on the radar.

"In the beginning, it was more of a gathering, it felt less professional, less production values. It was more about getting together a sense of community," Berta De Pablos Barbier, vice president of marketing for Mars Chocolate North America, told Mashable. "What we really see now is that it's part of an entertainment industry."

Now in its seventh year, the event has continued to grow.Everything is bigger, from the square footage and the number of stages, to the corporate presence and the more than 30,000 attendees (along with almost double the number of security personnel from previous years).

Guests take a selfie at the 7th Annual VidCon at Anaheim Convention Center on June 24, 2016 in Anaheim, California.

Image: Tara Ziemba/WireImage

The growing corporate presence hasn't done much to change VidCon — for marketers, screaming fans are a feature, not a bug — but the sheer size of the event and recent tragedy have removed some of the charm.

Major creators that once mingled openly with fans now rarely walk the floor, as the risk of a riot breaking out is just too real. There are still meet-and-greets where fans get time with their favorite creators. This year, however, those fans had to go through metal detectors, a late addition after the murder of singer Christina Grimmie.

The nearby Hilton hotel, once a mob scene of creators and fans, was put on veritable lockdown. Along with the Marriott, these hotels serve as places for executives to meet.

"This one's growing. CES is sort of the Mecca. It feels like much more industry there than your entrepreneurs and your creators. [Vidcon] has more of that vibe which is closer to [SXSW]," said Valerie Vargas, vice president of advertising and marketing communications at AT&T.

The Netflix lounge at the 7th Annual VidCon at Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

Image: Netflix

If anything, Netflix is late to the game. Once an almost entirely YouTube-based scene, players like Snapchat, Twitter, go90 (owned by Verizon) and Watchable (owned by Comcast), along with newer entrants like Musical.ly, are now competing for attention on the hall floor.

There's also Facebook, which seemed more on the minds of creators and industry executives this year thanks in part to its push into livestreaming.

Sarah Penna — who founded digital talent management firm Big Frame and now leads a new, millennial mom-focused brand called Awestruck — said this variety is poised to change the industry.

"I think what we're seeing right now ... is this explosion of platforms," Penna said. "I think similar to let's say 2011, when there was the explosion of the [multi-channel networks], we're seeing the explosion of the platforms."

The view of the atmosphere at the 7th Annual VidCon at Anaheim Convention Center on June 24, 2016 in Anaheim, California.

Image: Tara Ziemba/WireImage

The growth of VidCon mirrors the broader growth of the digital industry it helped incubate. It started as a place to showcase a few popular YouTube accounts; now it's a treasure trove for corporations looking to connect with young people.

That attention has meant far more money coming into the once-DIY world. The classic straight-into-the-camera YouTube video is still a big part of the scene, but with bigger companies and bigger backers comes bigger (i.e. more expensive) bets on content.

"I think the business now has really evolved from that. I think the MCN business has been left behind and premium content and being able to produce premium content is really what's happening in the space now," said Brian Robbins, CEO and founder of AwesomenessTV, which has been among the leading companies able to translate digital success into more traditional mediums like movies and TV.

"We joke that two years ago, you would tell people to go to VidCon and they'd look at you like you're crazy," said Keith Richman, president of Defy Media, which counts popular creators Smosh among its stable of talent. "Now, it's almost gone the other way like 'Of course I'm going to be at VidCon.'"

Mashable
is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.